Black Maple

Black Maple is an online magazine where Black Canadian arts, culture, and history live! First founded as blackcanadianstudies.com, by Dr. Charmaine A.

Nelson, in 2012 with a relaunch as Black Maple coming soon. Black Maple is an innovative platform that explores and celebrates the uniqueness of Black Canada in academia, art, beauty, clothing, culture, film, food, health, personal care, and more.

10/14/2025

Abbott Elementary (2021- )
- THE POP LIST October 12th, 2025

ABC; Hulu

School’s back in session and so is the laughter!

Abbott Elementary returns for its fifth season with more heart, hilarity, and chaos than ever. Created by the brilliant Quinta Brunson—who also stars as the eternally optimistic Janine—the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning mockumentary takes us back to the halls of Willard R. Abbott Elementary, where overworked teachers and a delightfully unfiltered principal face the joys and absurdities of public education.

From staff room antics to moments of heartfelt connection, this season proves once again why Abbott Elementary remains the gold standard of modern sitcoms — equal parts sharp, warm, and laugh-out-loud funny.

Read the article below
⬇️
https://blackmaplemagazine.com/articles/abbott-elementary-2021/

ABC
Hulu
Emmys / Television Academy
Golden Globes
Critics Choice Awards
Screen Actors Guild Awards
NAACP Image Awards
Sanford and Son
Good Times
And Just Like That
Modern Family
Quinta Brunson
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Ashanti Official
Saturday Night Live
Los Del Rio
Vince Staples
Leslie Odom Jr.
Brian Scolaro
Tommy Bechtold
Camden Coley

We already knew that Abbott Elementary was hilarious from its previous 4 seasons. This award-winning sit-com (Emmys, Golden Globes, and Critics’ Choice, Screen Actors Guild, and NAACP Image Awards) is...

10/08/2025

Chief of War
-THE POP LIST October 4th, 2025

Apple TV+

If you think there’s nothing worth watching on screens big or small — think again! Chief of War, created by Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, is a sweeping, visually stunning Apple TV+ historical saga that reimagines the unification of the Hawaiian Islands through an indigenous lens. Blending power, prophecy, and resistance, it delivers the epic scope of history with the intimacy of lived experience. From ritual and warfare, to betrayal, love, and survival across oceans, this series reminds us that stories of sovereignty and justice are never just about the past.

Read the full article below: Spoilers alert!
⬇️
https://blackmaplemagazine.com/articles/chief-of-war/

Apple TV
Hulu
Ao o Hinepehinga
Mainei Kinimaka
Sisa Grey
TK Tuhaka
Roimata Fox
Moses Goods - Actor & Storyteller
Branscombe Richmond

For those who profess that there is nothing to watch on TV, we boldly say, you’re dead wrong! In fact, the problem is the reverse, there’s too much to watch....

10/05/2025

Ruth & Boaz (2025)
- THE POP LIST September 28th, 2025

Netflix September 26th, 2025

From producers Tyler Perry and DeVon Franklin, and director Alanna Brown, comes a tender modern retelling of the Book of Ruth — a story of faith, love, and redemption. Set between the rhythm of hip hop and the quiet beauty of a Tennessee vineyard, it follows a young woman and a man whose shared belief in God leads them from heartbreak to healing, proving that divine love still moves in mysterious ways.

Read the full article
⇓
https://blackmaplemagazine.com/articles/ruth-boaz-2025/

Netflix
DeVon Franklin
Tyler Perry
Serayah
Tyler Lepley
Babyface
Jermaine Dupri
Lecrae

The new Netflix movie, Ruth and Boaz (2025) opens with a line from an eighteenth-century hymn that many will recognize but not necessarily attribute to the English poet William Cowper:...

10/05/2025

Highest 2 Lowest (2025)
-THE POP LIST September 28th, 2025

In theatres August 15; Apple TV, Amazon Prime

Spike Lee’s latest joint, Highest 2 Lowest, starring Denzel Washington, is a gripping morality tale where wealth, race, and power collide against the dazzling backdrop of New York City. The film exposes the unsettling truth that not all lives are valued equally and asks how far one man will go to protect his legacy, money, and family. Both a love letter to NYC and a sharp critique of its inequalities, this is Lee in quintessential form.

Read the full article
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https://blackmaplemagazine.com/articles/highest-2-lowest-2025/

Apple TV
Amazon Prime
Rick Fox
La Chanze
ASAP Rocky
Anthony Ramos
The Johnson Collection

The newest Spike Lee Joint lifts off with an uncharacteristic song, an anthem of old Hollywood and Broadway, “Oh, What and Beautiful Mornin’ ” from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s famous 1943...

10/05/2025

Andrew Jackson’s Little Burgundy Exhibition at the McCord Museum, Montreal
-FEATURES, September 24th, 2025
By Audrey Arthurs

In his Evolving Montreal commission at the McCord Stewart Museum, Black British-Canadian photographer Andrew Jackson turns his lens on Little Burgundy — once the vibrant heart of Black Montreal, nicknamed Harlem of the North. Through striking portraits, artifacts, and juxtapositions, Jackson challenges Eurocentric narratives, refutes racist imagery, and reconnects the past to the present. His exhibition foregrounds community memory, resilience, and creativity in a neighbourhood deeply marked by jazz, activism, and urban renewal.

Read the Full Article
⇓
https://blackmaplemagazine.com/articles/andrew-jacksons-little-burgundy-exhibition-at-the-mccord-museum-montreal/

Musée McCord Stewart Museum
Light Work
Canadian Encyclopedia
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Montreal
United Church Montreal
SDC Les Quartiers du Canal
CBC
Oscar Peterson
Global News
CNN
Historical Society
Museum for Human Rights
Museum
Vancouver Heritage Foundation
's Alley Society
of New Brunswick

By Audrey Arthurs Little Burgundy- Evolving Montreal (February 21 – September 28th, 2025) As part of the Evolving Montreal series, black British-Canadian photographer Andrew Jackson was commissioned by the...

09/22/2025

The Paper (2025)
THE POP LIST, September 13th, 2025, Black Maple

Peacock; in Canada on Amazon Prime

The Paper( 2025) from Greg Daniels (The Office) and Michael Koman (Saturday Night Live) comes a sharp new mockumentary comedy set inside the struggling newsroom of the Toledo Truth Teller.

Quirky staff, a bumbling new editor, budget cuts, and volunteer “journalists” with zero experience collide in a hilarious, heartfelt story about reviving local news. Think The Office vibes, but with newspapers, clickbait, and chaos.

Read the full article: Beware of spoilers!⬇️
https://blackmaplemagazine.com/articles/the-paper-2025/

Peacock TV
Prime Video
Ricky Gervais
Sabrina Impacciatore
Alex Edelman
Ramona Young
Laprete
John Krasinski
Jenna Fischer
Rainn Wilson
Angela Kinsey
Mindy Kaling

When the white, redhead Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson) enters the lobby of the building that houses the Toledo Truth Teller, he pauses to tell the unseen people behind the camera...

09/15/2025

News From UMass Amherst

Children’s books from students of Charmaine A. Nelson’s Visual Culture of Slavery course published online
-UMass Amherst, September 9, 2025,

Black Maple Magazine has digitally published an open access collection of 18 original illustrated children’s books about slavery in Canada and the U.S. North created by the students of Charmaine A. Nelson’s Spring 2025 UMass Amherst art history course, The Visual Culture of Slavery.

Read the full article here
🔽
https://www.umass.edu/news/article/childrens-books-students-charmaine-nelsons-visual-culture-slavery-course-published

Black Maple
Charmaine A. Nelson
Slavery North
UMass Amherst Department of History of Art and Architecture
College of Humanities & Fine Arts at UMass Amherst
UMass Amherst

Black Maple Magazine has digitally published an open access collection of 18 original illustrated children’s books about slavery in Canada and the U.S. North created by the students of Slavery North founder and Provost Professor Charmaine A. Nelson’s art history course.

09/11/2025

News From Black Maple Magazine:

We’re proud to launch a new feature: Children’s Books on Slavery in Canada and the US North.

For too long, the histories of enslaved Black people in northern, cold-climate regions have been underrepresented and overlooked in academic scholarship, adult non-fiction, and children’s literature. This project began in our fearless leader, Prof. Charmaine A. Nelson’s UMass Amherst Spring 2025 course The Visual Culture of Slavery, where under her guidance, students created original illustrated books to educate children about the histories of slavery in Canada and the US North.

These powerful works tackle four central themes:

The Journey from Africa
Enslaved Biography
Enslaved Children
Slave Resistance

In an era when some seek to erase or sanitize these histories, these books are a welcome contribution to knowledge and justice, ensuring that future generations can access rigorous and accurate accounts through age-appropriate materials.

👉 Explore the collection now on Black Maple Magazine.
https://blackmaplemagazine.com/research/slavery-research/sowing-history/

Black Maple
Slavery North
Charmaine A. Nelson
Slavery North
UMass Amherst Department of History of Art and Architecture
College of Humanities & Fine Arts at UMass Amherst
UMass Amherst

At Black Maple we are elated to add nine trophies from the 20th Annual Davey Awards and five from the 19th Annual w3 awards (2024) to our growing list of accolades including an Anthem Award, six Communicator Awards, and recognition as a Webby Honoree.

09/08/2025

Choline
-THE SELF-CARE CIRCLE August 30th, 2025, Black Maple

Ever heard of choline? This often-overlooked nutrient is vital for brain power, liver health, muscle function, and healthy aging. From egg yolks to broccoli, salmon to soybeans, choline fuels memory, mood, and metabolism — and plays a crucial role in fetal brain development. Whether you add more to your plate or try a supplement, it’s a small step with big benefits for body and mind.

Read the full article
⬇️
https://blackmaplemagazine.com/articles/choline/

Ever heard of choline? Well, until recently, neither had we. This essential nutrient is largely missing from many of our diets. Good sources include beef, chicken, beef and chicken liver,...

09/08/2025

Carrie Bradshaw says Farewell in the Final Season of And Just Like That… (2021–2025)
-THE POP LIST August 29th, 2025, Black Maple

HBO Max; in Canada on Crave

And Just Like That has come to an end. Showrunner Michael Patrick King announced on August 1 that the beloved S*x and the City spinoff was no more. While some plots fell flat, the series still delivered big laughs, bold fashion, and unforgettable moments — reminding us that at its heart, it was always about friendship, love, and celebrating women’s lives in all their vibrant, complicated beauty.

Read the full article. Click the link below
⬇️
https://blackmaplemagazine.com/articles/carrie-bradshaw-says-farewell-in-the-final-season-of-and-just-like-that-2021-2025/

*xAndTheCity

Crave
HBO
Sarah Jessica Parker
Nicole Ari Parker
Kristin Davis
Cynthia Nixon for New York
Alexa Swinton
Mario Cantone
Mehcad Brooks
Bobby Lee
Katerina Tannenbaum
Ivan Hernandez
Cree Cicchino
Isaac Powell
Lou Martini Jr.

And Just Like That, it’s over! And we are shocked and more than a little saddened. Showrunner, Michael Patrick King announced via social media on August 1st that the beloved...

09/08/2025

Some Thoughts on Wealth, Greed, and the Human Family
- MAX’S PEARLS OF WISDOM August 22nd, 2025, Black Maple Magazine

Read Max’s reflection on healthcare inequality, greed, and the urgent need to rethink our values. From preventable deaths in marginalized communities to the strain on healthcare systems in both the U.S. and Canada, the message is clear: we must do better. By centering Love, Interest, Fairness, and Effort (L.I.F.E.), we can care for each other, protect our planet, and create a more just future.

Read the full article
⬇️
https://blackmaplemagazine.com/articles/some-thoughts-on-wealth-greed-and-the-human-family

Black Maple
Charmaine A. Nelson
Mellon Foundation
The Guardian
NCBI - National Center for Biotechnology Information
National Library of Medicine (NLM)
NPR
Forbes
TED
Canadian Climate Institute

I’d like to share a joke my good friend Henry once told me. A wife looked at her recently deceased husband lying in his casket and spoke aloud, “Robert, do...

08/20/2025

High Potential (2024 – )
-THE POP LIST August 17th, 2025, Black Maple

Morgan Gillory (Kaitlin Olson) is a busy, frugal, hardworking mom of three, who’s more than a little down on her luck – despite an IQ over 160. As we see from the jump, the way Morgan takes in, processes, stores, and mines information is well, not normal. It’s extraordinary! High potential then refers to her capacity to observe and retain more information than the average person.

High Potential is sharp as a tack, with intricate but engaging plots, and compelling characters. We’re happy that Morgan and company will be back for season 2 this fall (2025)!

Read the full article
⬇️
https://blackmaplemagazine.com/articles/high-potential/

ABC
CTV
Hulu
Kaitlin Olson
Amirah J
Garret Dillahunt
Steve Howey
Jocko Sims
Domenick Lombardozzi

Morgan Gillory (Kaitlin Olson) is a busy, frugal, hardworking mom of three, who’s more than a little down on her luck. She’s also charismatic and quirky in her attitude and...

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01004

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